Description

The monument comprises a henge, situated below the SSE end of a low, but prominent, natural mound on the left bank of the Ealaiche Burn. Such ceremonial earthworks date to the late Neolithic or early Bronze Age (the later third or early second millennium BC). The monument was first scheduled in 1973 and is being rescheduled to more accurately define the scheduled area to modern mapping standards.

The henge has a small central area measuring 6.2m by 5.4m in diameter, surrounded by a ditch up to 4.3m wide, and a bank 4-5m wide. An entrance passes through the bank on the SE. The earthworks are covered in grass and heather.

The area to be scheduled is circular in plan, centred on the henge, to include the henge and an area around it within which evidence for its construction and use can be expected to be preserved, as marked in red on the accompanying map extract.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

Cultural Significance

The monument's historical significance can be expressed under two headings:

Intrinsic characteristics: The henge appears to be intact and does not appear to have been disturbed. It is likely, therefore, that it preserves information relating both to the construction of the henge and to the activities which took place there. Where henges have been excavated, pottery, stone artifacts and animal bones possibly relating to feasting and ceremonial activities are often found within their ditches. Material such as this has the potential to provide dating evidence, and it is also possible that environmental material relating to the conditions of the surrounding area will be preserved in the ditch. In addition, the banks of the henge may preserve the remains of the old land surface.

Contextual characteristics: Wormy Hillock is one of a small group of henges found in the NE of Scotland. One of the characteristics of this group is their small size. While henges are found in many parts of Britain, there is much regional diversity in terms of construction and use.

National Importance

The monument is of national importance because it has an inherent potential to make a significant addition to the understanding of the past, in particular of the ceremonial gatherings of Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age communities in the NE of Scotland, and of the cultural links between Aberdeenshire and other areas of Britain in this period of prehistory.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS record the monument as NJ43SW 1.

References:

Harding A F and Lee G E 1987, HENGE MONUMENTS AND RELATED SITES OF GREAT BRITAIN: AIR PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE AND CATALOGUE, Brit Archaeol Rep Brit Ser 175, Oxford, 362, No. 262.

MacDonald J 1891, PLACE NAMES IN STRATHBOGIE, Aberdeen, 259.

Shepherd I A G 1986, EXPLORING SCOTLAND'S HERITAGE: GRAMPIAN, Exploring Scotland's Heritage Series, Edinburgh, 149, No. 86.

Shepherd I A G and Ralston I B M 1979, EARLY GRAMPIAN: A GUIDE TO THE ARCHAEOLOGY, Aberdeen, 8, No. 1.

Wainwright G J 1969, 'A review of henge monuments in the light of recent research', PROC PREHIST SOC, NEW 35, 130.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland